Plumb level



Aug. 25, 1931. L. B. RlEsET AL PLUMB LEVEL Filed Jan. 6. 1930 www.. Y'

fas

f Patented Aug. 25, 1931" LEWIS'B'. mns, oFnoNoRA, AND JAMES 1 3. moKEnsoN, or.ivroivoiveaiar ELA;

vPENNSYLVANIA e Y Application :uefa 'January e, 1930, .seri'aiNa 418,914.

This invention relates to-levels and'more particularlyfto a device yof thisxcharacter which may be usedeitlier as a level or as a plumbbar. i v A One object of the invention is to provide a device ofthis character capable of being f used either horizontally as a level or verti` cally as a plumb bar, andhaving bubble glasses so mounted in the Abar or body p0rtion of the level that they willbe protected from injury in case the device is carelessly handled but at the same time allow the bubble glasses to be easily `seen when the device Ais `inuse.l Another object of the invention' is to providefimproved means for ymounting the buh,- ble glasses and cause the glasses to be firmly secured in set position while at the same time permitting themto be adjusted when'necestie The inventionis'illustratedl in the accompanying drawings,'wher ein, j

* Figure l is a view"showingthefimproved combination level andplurnb ba'rfin 'side elevation,'v

the A'man Figure 3 is a lsectional view/"takenon the line 3- 3offFigure 2. i

The/bar or body portionl of'this combination levelandplumb bar` maybe formed of wood'or any other material desired. This bar islofY a suitable length to permit'` itto be conveniently' usedas a'level or andmaybe of any desired width andV thickness. Openings'Q areformedfthrough the bar lin 'spaced' relationto each'otherlongi-y tudinally thereof and in the preferred em-r bodiment one of these openings is located ap- Another object ofthe invention is to notd onlyallow thegbubble glass'to beeasily ad-y ,ed in the openingv at the Acenter of the. bar or those mountedinthe openings formed near vbeseen Athat 'the opening 2 `is rectangular in parallel to the side Vedge faces of the bar Openings5 areformed in theends of the vs trip whichabutas shown inFigure 3.and `thrnighsthese 'openings are passed securing Figure Qis a fragmentary view illustrating screws 6 Which together with similar screws ner' of mounting the bubble glasses,1f

plumb bar proximately midway the length Vof the ybar and one adjacent each endv thereof. These openings constitute pockets ory chambers in which bubble glasses 3 are mounted for `observation throughthe 'ends of-'the openings 6 5 and from an inspeotiono'f Figure 1 it will 'be seen that the glasses mounted inthe openings at.y thecenterof the bar'extendlongif tudinally thereof whereas the bubble glasses T g FFIC mounted in thel openings near the ends of the bar extend transversely of thebar. There# fore, theglasses in the opening formed at the center of the bar extend at right angles to those mounted in the openings near itsends y and since these .glasses may beobservedfrom either side vof the bar they may be very'easily seen in whatever positionthe bar is disposed. Therefore, the bar may be used for either horizontal or vertical-work." f i The bubbleA glasses mounted in eachV opening are of .thefsamer construction and a1l v mounted in the samemanner. Therefore'the constructionillustrated in Figures'Q andB may refer to either the bubble glassesmount.- 5

its'ends.l "Referring to Figures 2' and 3 itvvillk shape and Y'its'side' walls extend substantially A frame vc'fits snugly finto the opening or pocket 2 and this framefconsists of a strip of metal bent to assume a rectangular shape.k

passthrough the frame at the opposite side secure the framewithin thepocket or cham- A 4. ber. 'Recessesf or seats 8 are formed in thesi'de facesof the bar lat opposite 'sides of the opening so ,that the closures 9 for the ends of the opening may be rcountersunli whenV set of metal' from. which the frame 4 is formed is off such vvwidththat it does not `.interfere withproper seating of the closures. These elosures are secured -by bolts 110 passed through openings 11 formed nearopposite thereofv from the screws 6, serve to firmly 9,0" Y

in place and it should be noted that the strip ends of the seat and each bolt has a head 12 at one end countersunk in the closure through which this end of the bolt passes and the other end of the bolt is threaded and engaged through a threaded opening formed in the second closure. It will thus be seen'that the two closures may be securely but releasably held in place and since they are countersunk they will be shielded from injury.

Each of the closures consists ofV an outer plate 13 and an inner plate 14 which is relatively thin. These plates have openings formed therein disposed in alignment and from an inspection of I `igure 3 it will be seen that the Walls 15 of the openings formed in the youter plate are undercut. Therefore, when a transparent disc 16 formed of glass or any other suitable material is set in place and the two plates united by screws 17 the transparent plates or windows f 16 will be firmly secured and cannot slip out of place. I have therefore provided closures for the ends of the openings or pockets 2 having transparent portions through which the bubble glasses 3 mounted in the pockets may be observed.

TheseV bubble glasses are all mounted in a similar manner and referring to Figures 2. and 3 it will be seenthat bands of rubber or other elastic material 18 are fitted snugly upon each glass near its ends. Clamps 19 formed from stripsof resilient metal fit about the4 bands 18 and have theirv end portions bent to form ears 20 through which are passed adjusting screws 21 and these screws are engaged through threaded openings 22 formed in the adjacent side portions of the frame 4. Lock nuts 23 are provided upon. the screws so that after the screws have been tightened they maybe secured in set position. The

bands 18 serve not only as cushions to prevent the bubble glasses from being broken when the clamps are tightened or in case the level should be accidently dropped, but also permit the glasses to be set in proper angulairelation to the body portion of the level. By referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that the clamps of one glass extend in an opposite direction to the clamps of the other glass.n Therefore', the two glasses will be each disposed closer to one head than the other and when the device is viewed from either side the glass closest to that side may be easily seen.

When this improvedlcombination level and plumb bar is in use it may be disposed either horizontally or vertically according to the use to which it is to be put. If it is used for l'rorizontal work the bubble glasses mounted in the central openings are observed through the `transparent sheets or windows of the closure for the ends of the center opening. When a Wall or other upright object is to be tested; to sce if it is plum-b the bar is disposed vertically and the operator may'view one of the bubble glasses in either of the openings near its end. Before using the device it is well to test it by placing it against objects which have already been trued. lf it is found that any one of the bubble glasses needs adjustment the closures for the ends of the openings in which this glass is located are removed and the screw of the clamp extending about the high end of 'the bubble glass tightened. Y This will exert additional corn pression upon the elastic band and force this end of the bubble glass downwardly until the bubble is accurately centered between the marks upon the glass. Since the screws 21 are close to the open ends of the pockets or openings formed through the bar the heads of the screws may be easily engaged by a screwdriver. It will thus be seen that this improved level and plumb bar will be of a strono and durable construction and may be very easily adjusted when necessary but will not be liable to become inaccurate aft-er having been adjusted. lf one of the bubble glasses should become broken a new one can be easily and quickly set in place as it is merely necessary to release the head 9 close to which the screws 21 of the clamp holding the broken glass are disposed and these screws can be unscrewed? thereby releasing the clamps which may then be engaged about a new glass and again screwed to the frame 4l. After the new glass has been mounted it will be necessary to adjust the screws until the glass isproperly set.

Having thus described the invention7 we claim:

l. A level comprising a bar having an opening formed therethrough, a frame in said opening secured to the bar about the margins of the opening7 a bubble glass, elastic bands fitting about said glassv adjacent opposite ends thereof, clamps engaged about said bands and each having spaced ears eX- tending therefrom, at a side of the glass, and screws passed through said ears and engaged in threaded openings formed in said frame to secure the clamps to the frame.

2. A level comprising a bar having an opening formed therethrough, a frame in said opening7 a bubble glass in said opening extending longitudinally of a side portion of said frame, clamps fitting about said glass and bearing against the adjacent side portion of said frame, adjusting screws for said clamps having threaded ends engaged in threaded openings formed in said frame., a securing nut upon each screw between theA frame and the adjacent ear of the clamp. and elastic packing about said glass encircled by said clamps and adapted to be compressed thereby whereby the bubble glass may be angularly adjusted relative to the frame and bar and held in a set position by adjustingsaid screws.

3. A level comprising a bar having an opening formed therethrou h, the said openv ing being rectangular in s ape andhaving Y side walls extending substantially parallel toside edge' faces of said bar,a rectangular frame fitting snugly into said openingv and secured against walls of the opening, a bubble glass in said opening extending longitudinally of one wall thereof, the adjacent portion i of said frame having threaded openings formedr thereinin spaced relation to each other longitudinally thereof, bands of com pressible material. fitted around said glass near its ends, clamps extending about vsaid bands and having spaced end portions projecting transversely fromv the glass to form ears, said clamps bearing against said frame f andthe ears of each clamp having openings formed therein, screws passed through the openings in -the ears of vsaid clamps and screwed into the threaded yopenings of, said frame, and lock nuts upon said screwsv between the frame and adjacent ears of the clamps.

, 4. A y opening formed therethrough, a frame in said opening secured to the bar against walls of the opening, a bubblev glass, elastic bands fitting about said glass j adjacent opposite ends'thereof, clamps each consisting of a strip having its intermediate portion engaged about a band and its end portionsy bent to form spacedV vears -extending transversely of the glass from one side thereof, and screws passed Ythrough the ears of said clamps and engaged in threaded openings formed insaid frame to secure the v clampsto the frame, side faces ofthe bar v Y,

being recessed to form seats leading fromk the ends of the openingfiny the bar, closures for the ends of said opening having portions fitting into said seats with their outer, facesy y flush withy the side faces of the bar, each closure Vconsisting of vinner and outer'platesformed with aligned sight openings and a transparent sheet engaged between the inner and .outer plates with its margins gripped between the plates, removable fasteners for uniting said plates,`and fasteners f passed through saidbar and engaged through the portions of the closuresextending into said seats to'secure the closures lin place.

In testimony whereof we tures. f y,

LEWIS B. YKIES. [n s.] JAMES B. DICKERSON. [L s] level comprising abar having Van Y aix our signa- 

